The Kellogg’s ASA Swimtastic Countdown 2013 - Thursday

12 November 2013

The countdown to the annual Kellogg’s ASA Swimtastic Awards 2013 is on! So let’s take a closer look at this years finalists…

This year's Kellogg’s ASA Swimtastic Awards will be taking place on 16th November in Birmingham, with the exciting 'Swim with the Stars' session at Cocks Moor Woods Leisure Centre and the glamorous awards dinner at Edgbaston Stadium. In the five-day run up to the event we will take a sneak peak at each of our award categories and their deserving finalists for the evening.

Here we have the Fundraising award and the RLSS Lifesaving award. Each one of our finalists has shown sheer determination, courage and commitment to the swimming world.

Swim School of the Year

Presented to a Swim School that provides an excellent service to all of their members and who, through commitment to the development of swimmers and staff, achieves the highest standards.

Creative Aquatic

Based: Somerset

About Creative Aquatic: This swim school opened early last year and the level of integrity and service that meets customers grows from strength to strength. Their dedication to quality has ensured the swim teaching integrity is consistent, which is evident in the classes both adult and child, individual and group, and school. Creative Aquatic is very big on each teacher having their own expression and this can clearly be seen when watching the variety of teachers teach.

The ESSA Dolphin Award

The aim of the Dolphin Scheme is to support the ASA Learn to Swim Framework and encourage all schools to make every child a swimmer before transferring to the secondary stage of education.

The Grey House School and Godolphin Prep School

Children in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 are judged on their ability to swim 5 metres, 10 metres, 20 metres and 25 metres gaining points for their school for each distance they swim. In addition bonus points are gained for swimming 50m and 100m.

There are two categories of school:

Large Schools – more than 30 pupils in a year group.

Small Schools – less than 30 pupils in a year group.

Awards are given to each year group in each category. The school with the highest number of points from both categories will be declared the overall winner. This year’s joint winners gained 60 points (the maximum obtainable).

Top Teacher Award

Presented to a Swimming Teacher who goes that extra mile to ensure they deliver the best possible learning experience for their pupils.

Marine Mace

About Marine: Marine Mace has been teaching swimming for over 40 years and became a lifeguard at the age of 52. Marine adopts a firm but fun approach to swimming lessons and goes above and beyond what would be expected of a swimming teacher. In June this year, Marine asked four swimmers in her Saturday swim group to swim a distance for a charity of their choice. The girls aged between six and eight years chose a charity each and swam either a mile or half a mile. This was by far the furthest any of them had previously swum and Marine encouraged them every step of the way, getting into the pool and swimming alongside them. When asked what Marine enjoys most about being a swimming teacher, she said “When my passion for swimming gets passed down to my swimmers – that is the biggest achievement of all. “

Nicky Bryant

About Nicky: Nicky has been involved with school swimming, adult and child lessons and TOP UPS (Bristol City Council) initiatives for some time now and, in three years, Nicky has been able to ensure the standards have been kept at the highest level. Nicky’s schools appreciate her hardworking nature, punctuality and how she leads by example to others around her. She adopts a fun approach to all her classes and gives up hours of her time to make sure that each session is tailored to the group she is working with. All the parents are now on first name terms with Nicky, and this serves as a testament to her happy, approachable nature. Nicky deserves this award for her hard work, kindness, friendly demeanour and above all her real talent for teaching.

Keeley Peace

About Keeley: Since qualifying as an ASA Level 2 Swimming Teacher in October 2010, Keeley has shown commitment to her teaching career by slowly increasing her teaching hours over the past three years. Keeley performs most of her teaching hours for Hinckley Leisure Centre and the rest teaching children in local primary schools. Keeley is passionate about inspiring children to become competent swimmers and she gives up her personal time to volunteer as a coach for Hinckley Swim Club several nights a week. Keeley’s talent for teaching extends to adult and child classes, all stages of the National Teaching Plan, 1-2-1 swimming lessons, adults swimming lessons, pre-competitive and competitive swimming. She has the ability to adapt her teaching style dependent upon the needs of the participants. This combined with her broad experience and outlook, makes her a very rare teacher indeed.